Tag Archive: Economy

After perusing my Twitter Timeline, and my Facebook Feed, I have come to a conclusion of sorts (A totally unscientific one at that) regarding those who like “The Donald.”

Forget the fact that he his spewing populist excrement. Forget that, as a candidate, and the leading one (for now) at that, he should be telling us what his vision his, his plan, his idea to “Make America Great Again.” What is pulling people in, is that he is saying what people want to hear.

You mean people want to hear this crap?

Yes, some of them do. At least, those of the knee-jerk “Oooh, I like what he just said” type. Now, I am not going to disparage anyone’s IQ, intelligence level, or anything like that. But, we all know that this country is full of people who are, to coin a popular phrase, “low information voters.” In other words people, who, for whatever reason, just don’t follow what is going on, beyond what is happening in their household, job, or social circle. Current events are something they see on the news for a few minutes a night, or something Kimmel or Fallon joke about. They are just not involved, or following anything in depth. (Unless it’s Cecil the Lion, then, they are all over that. Can’t find Zimbabwe on a map, but they are all over the lion story) They live on soundbites, and form opinions based on tweets they see in their time line, or on click bait in their Facebook feed. They may or may not be intelligent, that, we can’t discern here. They do know they are not happy with some segment of America, be it politics, social issues, economic issues, or national security. They may not have all of the details, or nuances of any issues, but they know something is “bad” and needs to be made good. So, when someone comes along, speaking in those sound bites, and saying exactly what appeals to them, these people stand up and take notice.. Their ears perk up, and they say “Yes, I agree, Trump for President” and don’t bother to go beyond that. People are drawn to the outspoken, makers of bold statements, those who can speak plainly about an issue. When there is discontent, the person who speaks the loudest, with the words that people want to hear, is the one who gets followers. Doesn’t matter the motivation, or any other ulterior motive on the part of the speaker. They are saying what the discontented want to hear, and the discontented mistake this for intelligence, and a statement of the outspoken one’s intentions. Sometimes this is enough to carry someone to a leadership position. Which, can be a scary proposition for the more rational, and thoughtful among us.

When challenged, I have yet to have anyone tell me what Trump’s positions are on the issues facing the country. I get:

“He will build a wall”

“He’s a businessman, he can fix the economy”

“He will beat Hillary.”

and on, and on, and on. None of those make any sense, and saying “Build a wall” does not fix our immigration crisis. Saying “He can fix the economy” doesn’t put people to work. Every election, probably since this country began, has had someone who sticks their head in the race, says a few things, runs a campaign, but never does much beyond a couple of percentage points. They stir up public opinion, get some headlines, but, eventually fade away, mainly due to lack of any kind of substance. Generally these folks have been outliers, “radicals” if you will, or fringe folks who are trying to make a name, but have no serious intent. In this day and age, however, where the very survival of this country is at stake after 8 years of Barack Obama, an outlier with a big mouth is someone we can ill afford. People, tired of the Washington Establishment are looking for someone who will “take the fight” to the establishment. Trump is making those noises, and to people who have spent the last 8 years or longer, barely paying attention, his words are resonating. They are hollow, full of self aggrandizement, ego, and narcissism, but they are resonating. This country cannot afford any more narcissistic, self aggrandizing leaders. We just can’t.

I am waiting patiently for Trump to implode, evaporate, blow away, or do something, something other than running for President.

Add to the above, this little fact: Trump has never, in all that I have read about the man, ever been a Republican, much less a conservative. Being a business man, he is going to follow whatever direction the political winds blow. The survival of his business and his fortune depend on it. He was a Hillary Clinton supporter and donor in the past. He got political advice from Bill Clinton. Tell me, does that sound like a Republican to you?

We need Mr. Trump back in his penthouse, doing what he does from a business standpoint. We don’t need him jumping in to the presidential fray. We need solid leadership, from someone with a vision, and who is willing to do the work that is required to take this country back down a prosperous path. We need someone who can secure this country, and our place in the world, someone who understands statecraft, foreign relations, and how everything works in the big picture. Trump is not that guy. I do not know who is at this point, but I know it’s not him.